This invention relates to a system for generating electromechanical power by converting the energy in a gaseous core nuclear reactor to a high pressure, high temperature hydrogen halide plasma.
This application is related to the following U.S. Patents:
Scragg et al, U.S. Pat. No. 4,426,354; PA1 Scragg et al, U.S. Pat. No. 4,070,861; PA1 Scragg et al, U.S. Pat. No. 4,026,112; PA1 Scragg et al, U.S. Pat. No. 4,024,715; and PA1 Scragg et al, U.S. Pat. No. 3,998,205.
As disclosed in the aforementioned U.S. patents, it is known to convey controlled amounts of hydrogen and chlorine to a chamber which is exposed to high frequency electromagnetic radiation such as derived from sun or from an artificial light source. The chlorine molecules are broken up into atomic chlorine with some chlorine being ionized. The atomized and ionized chlorine combine with hydrogen atoms to form hydrogen chloride. The hydrogen chloride is formed in an exothermic reaction which results in the temperature of the hydrogen chloride being substantially higher than that of the chlorine or hydrogen molecules conveyed to the reactor chamber. The resulting high temperature, high pressure gas is utilized to drive an output device such as a turbine.
Such a system requires a substantial amount of high energy electromagnetic radiation. This is not available from the sun unless a concentrator is utilized. Further, even with a concentrator, the sunlight is not continuously available and the level of the sunlight changes with the seasons and with weather. To solve this problem the aforementioned Scragg et al, U.S. Pat. No. 4,426,354 is directed to a system wherein high energy radiation from a nuclear reaction reactor is conveyed to the electromagnetic chamber. The radiation from the nuclear reactor includes alpha particles and gamma radiation which provides sufficient radiation to generate the desired energy level for the hydrogen and chlorine reaction.
In a copending patent application of Scragg et al, Ser. No. 646,217 filed Aug. 31, 1984, a nuclear power generation system is disclosed wherein hydrogen chloride is formed. In that system helium is passed through the core of a nuclear reactor and the helium gases are utilized to drive a turbine or steam generator. In addition, chlorine is passed in proximity to the nuclear reactor core so that it is exposed to the electromagnetic and thermal radiation produced by the nuclear reactor. The chlorine is excited and when coupled to a reaction chamber combines with hydrogen to form HCl. The hot HCl gases are utilized to drive a turbine or similar such device. In that system, the helium and chlorine are separate from one another and were utilized to drive turbines or other electromechanical devices separately from one another.